The Los Angeles Rams were one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 season and so far, they’ve been one of the big surprises of the offseason too. Already stocked with an explosive offense, the Rams have added a number of impact players to their defense in hopes of emerging as the NFC frontrunner. The latest was cornerback Aqib Talib, who the Rams acquired on Thursday. The former Denver Broncos standout has made five straight Pro Bowls and will be reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips. That move comes on the heels of acquiring Marcus Peters, who had been the Kansas City Chiefs top cornerback. With two top-flight cornerbacks manning the outside positions, the Rams are hoping to improve a defense that ranked 19th overall last season. With the addition of Sam Shields, who is attempting to make a comeback after multiple concussions, the Rams could have the best secondary in all of football.
As a result, the Rams odds to win the Super Bowl have improved. At BetDSI Sportsbook, the Rams have gone from 20/1 to 15/1. We also saw a small uptick in the Rams’ projected regular season win total as it now sits at 9.5.
Los Angeles Rams Regular Season Win Total Projection
Over 9.5 +100
Under 9.5 -130
While schedules haven’t been released yet, the Rams are going to be expected to be in the double-digit win range after collecting 11 regular season wins last year. Considering recent moves that the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have made, it’s clear that those teams could very well be taking a step back. While the San Francisco 49ers appear to be on the rise, nothing is a given in the NFL. The Rams have gone from being a longshot in a tough NFC West (entering last season) to being the clear-cut favorite in a relatively weak division (entering this season).
It hasn’t been all good news for the Rams as they are planning to let Trumaine Johnson hit free agency. Johnson has been the team’s No. 1 cornerback last season. Also, the team traded away edge rusher Robert Quinn, who registered 8.5 sacks last year. Also, there are some concerns about Talib, who failed to register an interception last season for the first time in his career. However, reuniting with former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and joining a defense that includes Lamarcus Joyner, Aaron Donald and Peters should ensure that Talib brings his best in the 2018 season.
